Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a syndrome that may be caused by a number of different diseases, all of which damage the alveoli and bronchioles, leading to impaired lung function. These diseases include including asthmatic bronchitis, chronic bronchitis (with normal airflow), chronic obstructive bronchitis, bullous disease, and emphysema. About 11% of the population of the United States has COPD, and according to the Mayo Clinic, COPD kills about 85,000 people a year in the United States. As the alveoli and bronchial tubes are destroyed, the remaining healthy lung tissue must work harder to provide the required amount of blood oxygenation. This need for more air leads to lung over-inflation. As the lung over-expands, it gradually enlarges, completely filling the chest cavity and causing a sense of shortness of breath. The lung eventually looses its elasticity, and the combination of a larger, less elastic lung and damaged, nonfunctioning tissue leads to a slower airflow into and out of the lung, resulting in the feeling of an obstructed airway.
The present standard of care is oxygen therapy, which requires a patient to remain near a stationary oxygen source or carry a bulky portable oxygen source when away from home or a treatment facility. It is easy to appreciate that such oxygen therapy has many disadvantages.
Lung reduction surgery has recently been proposed for treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Such surgery, however, is not a panacea. It can be used on only a small percentage of the total patient population, requires long recovery times, and does not always provide a clear patient benefit. Even when successful, patients often continue to require supplemental oxygen therapy.
It is desirable to provide improved approaches, including both devices and methods, for treating patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other related conditions.